The way it works in the real world, that is every where else other than Montreal, if you are crap, then you get sent down to the farm team as compost. In Montreal if you are crap you get an automatic 1.7 million dollar contract for two years. The rookies have learnt all you have to do is survive and then whompf one day you get the big one, and then you become Rivet, Dandy and Boully, automatic Lotto 6/49….life is good under Bob Gainey’s Lotto 6/49.

Too bad Montreal can’t send their used has been millionaires down to the dogs….oh no, we gotta be the United nations of Hockey, UNICEF for the NHL….

I say don’t even consider trading Souray. Trade anyone everyone, but not Souray, and of course, not Pleks, not Bonk, not Halak, trade Youpie, trade Carbo, trade Bob Gainey, trade even the poutine wagon guy if you have to, but not Souray. That is taboo, how can we as Habs fans even consider that? Unless we get something really worthwhile. Aucoin has a big paycheck and he trails a damn defibrilator, life support system and his own personal surgeon, honestly. Oh wait, I’m suprised Gainey didn’t jump on that one.

JOsh I agree with you. Gsinaey should be more interested in pushing players like RIvet and Sammy right now. IF you can get anything for them (3rd rounder or prospect) then do it. IT wont be giving up on the season and will help the future slightly. Send Sammy to Stoney Mountain for all I care. Souray needs to stay. Matt Carle is a nice prospect but Souray is just too darn important. Not just for this season. HE is by far my #1 hab and anyone who still questions his defensive play obviously has not been watching the games since christmas.

Funny thing is Souray has been just as prone to injury as anyone. God forbid such a notion, but I could not imagine the amount of “I told you so’s” that would be out there… Anyway, We do not have enough cap room for Smolinski and Aucoin with Souray’s Salary alone.

What the Phoque? Higgy the star of our great win, the heartbeat in Koivu’s non-existant line? And we keep Ninny and the other deadbeats? Granted I am a big fan of the rookies, but to send Higgy out when we have others who deserve to be benched? Honestly, isn’t that sad? Now I know the habs have gone to the dogs, is there no bottom to Bob Gainey’s depravity?

Snake – I think Souray’s improved and he was instrumental in revitalizing this team. I have to believe Gainey would only move him if he knew he had no chance of resigning him and like you said, even then it would be hard to make a move because he has been key point man and offensive threat. Send down or trade Sammy, murray, and Perez to allow some room for the youngsters which have added to this revival of energy. (although murray has become an offensive threat himself )

I knew he was a bit hurt, that is shocking. The only hab to actually stand in front of the teams’ goalie, now who else is gonna help score goals in the new NHL way? You know screen the other goalie. Kosty is good but if there is anyone else who plays like Higgy its Grabby….

“On CJAD radio in Montreal this morning Michael Farber mentioned Sheldon Souray for Matt Carle. According to Farber, a star player on the Sharks said that it was going around the dressing room and was “a done deal”. Farber sees Carle as a Chelios-type player, and no one could begrudge Gainey for trading a guy who likely has 20 games left in a Habs uniform – even if he is the top scorer – for a potential franchise defenceman.”

This would be a great deal as long as the Sharks through in a little something extra like a first round pick or a young forward. I think, even though it would be great, we’re dreaming to think we could get Carle AND Bernier.

It’s time for most of you people to come to grips with the fact that Souray isn’t coming back. He wants 7-7.5 million from the Habs(which he isn’t worth. He’s not Pronger/Niedermayer/Lidstrom calibre, he’s injury prone. This is his frist completely healthy season.) but he’ll take less to head out to the west coast to be with his daughter.

Bob, it’s time to make this deal. No matter what the majority of the fans think. It’s the best thing for the future of this franchise.

Hey we were ready to pay through the nose for Forsberg to score the same number of goals that Souray has already done. Listen to yourselves. Gainey may think Souray is not a defenseman, but Gainey is outscoring our fowards. Honestly, he is even scoring more than our highest paid player if you look at power plays etc. If we are ready to pay 7 million for a 20 goal scorer who is untried, we already have a 20 goal scorer on the team, his name is Souray.

I could see getting rid of Ninny and Rivet if only to free up millions towards next year.

But the Vlasic, Pavelski, Carle trio, that would be a bonus, a tough deal to turn down if it went that way. In a way Gainey may have no choice, the unthinkable, getting rid of Souray to spend the same amount of money next year for someone who may not score that many goals. I wouldn’t want to be in Gainey’s boots now, but the simple and quick thing to do, is nothing. Which is probably what Gainey will do if he cannot get Aucoin for Sammy and Rivet.

Aucoin, gimme a break. As much as some of you think Gainey only goes out and get’s broken down players, that not entirely true.

Altough I think we can all agree that Sammy was a massive mistake. Giving Kovy a four year deal was a mistake, all he is is a hired gun now at this stage in his career.

Ninnamaa, while he does suck, is only hear because Ribeiro and the Habs needed fresh starts from each other.

Johnson is sevearly underrated. He was brought in to be a defensive speacialist on the third line with Bonk, and since he’s one of the two MTL players with a +/- over ten I think it’s safe to say that worked out.

Adrian Aucoin is dirt. He makes four million a year to get injured and suck in Chicago. He’s their Alexei Kovalev.

Gainey’s learned from his mistakes. Don’t expect any Russians or probably Europeans signed in general to long term deals besides Pleks and Markov by the Habs.

This summer Gainey will try and with some of that Theo trade magic, find a couple of Suckers to take Sammy and Kovy off his hands cause they think they can ‘resurrect’ them.

And Frank, San Jose Management has said that Vlasic is untouchable. They won’t get him.

Yeah, getting rid of him would be very hard to do, but i think it’s essentially a necessity, unless Gainey REALLY believes the Habs can go all the way. Trade Souray and get something for him, before he walks and you get nothing. The Black Hole (Ryder) has picked up his game, a great 3 point game vs the Caps, he keeps playing well, maybe we keep him, or trade him while his value is high. Who Knows, it’s all in Gainey’s hands!

Excuse me? Johnson underated? He is paid outrageously, what lets see if he keeps up at this rate he’ll be lucky to get 30 points for his salary, that works out to just under 70 grand per point. If you look at the number of goals against when Johnson is on the ice (almost everytime there is a goal Johnson was either on the ice or in the play leading up to the turnover) versus the number of goals he has scored…where is the investment? How is he underated? Maybe underated as a professional maybe in that Johnson is no better than a rookie, and he is a veteran for gods’ sake!

Gainey’s big announcement was to say he is considering signing his current crop of players, including Ninnima. If Gainey renews Ninnima then we know the season is shot, either that or Gainey is looking at trading a number of players who are facing the prospect of not being signed again. If we follow Gainey’s track record that could only mean, instead of trading for a decent defense or center, Gainey will reward people like Ninnima with raises.

Yup, I agree he is a specialist. You know special cause he’s fluid, you know when he gets hit he falls down pretty good. Too bad the definition of a defenseman is stop the other team, not limp noodle them to death +13s per game…

It’s official, the refs hate Montreal. That call on Markov was absolute Bullshit! Erat ran over Halak on his own and the refs don’t even blow the wistle when his mask get’s knocked off like they’re supposed to.

The refs hate the Habs and the majority of they’re calls on them are pure B.S.

Oh ya, I can just hear Bob Gainey, “well you know of course I religiously read the Habs blog, I listened to Joshtm and finally brought up Kosty, and then I traded Souray because Habs#1 pointed out that Souray has fallen behind Pronger, and have traded him for the last round pick, and the habs will cover Sheldon’s salary in which ever team will take him, we are after all the UNICEF of hockey”…oh ya….and finally Gainey adds “I have signed Johnson to a 26 million dollar six year contract because Habs#1 has pointed out he is +13 or 2 million ever six months that he plays, yup he is worth 26 million bucks”….

Next big piece of info is Ninnima is such a great forward we can give him a raise, any other great tid bits you want to add? How about Downie’s plus 50 rating, that is Downie gets that much points for just showing up. Oh ya, Habs#1 the protector of the underdog habs…

Just heard on CJAD…Bob Gainey, “well Habs#1 pointed out Johnson is so great, I have traded Lapierre, Lat and Milroy away so I can have some salary space to give Johnson a raise, since he can do everything I have also traded away Souray, and also let Halak go because Johnson is such a defensive specialist..” oh ya, that Habs#1 is such an astute fan…

You know in playing back the games in the slump, yes Souray did indeed on more than one occasion knock his own goalie over, good point there Habs#1. But hey in the same period of time, Souray also led the league in short handed goals. What great record does Johnson have? HUH? Why should we give up Souray? Because Johnson is plus 13? Gee for Johnson to play so well here, he musta really sucked in the other teams, but heck when you are -30, averaging +13 means you are breathing….just breathing.

I don’t know, I haven’t seen Johnson score any short handed goals. He doesn’t have a booming shot. He can’t even check players, all Johnson is good at is a kamikazi rush where he gets knocked down, or the occasional lucky pass to someone like Streit, that is even if Johnson can finish a pass. Johnson can’t even take a puck away, his pathetic stick checking sucks too…I can’t see why Habs#1 loves Johnson….

not bad 1st period. i like to see the jump in the habs step. this is turning out to be a pretty good game. if the habs come out in the second like they did in the first this game should be real close. gotta go down to block shots from the d though, halak is having a hard time with deflections. go boys go. samsonov coming around??? where’s higgins??? and last but not least> if carbo switches the koivu ryder pairing we’re screwed. let the boys play!!! go habs go

Don’t worry R Habs, our superhero fan Habs#1 has the answer, play Johnson, he is a “defensive specialist” and after all Johnson has somehow miraculously managed to get a +13 rating in the habs 6 game slide….gee that’s like Koivu turning a power play into a 3 against 5, wonders, great wonders of the world.

Actually I think Gainey is in a great denial. He thinks like Habs#1 because we have Johnson and now even Ninnima is playing forward that there is nothing wrong in the world. Oh no, Gainey is gonna reward these underachieving defensemen with a raise.

Never mind a trade, oh no, Gainey is pondering giving all these guys a bonus for pulling off a mediocre season. I guess Gainey gets a bonus for finishing the season regardless if the habs finish first or last.